The Edinburgh Marathon Festival (EMF) has grown from a single race with 3,000 runners in 2003 to a weekend festival of running with 30,000 people running in 7 races across two days. The EMF is now firmly established as a major event on the UK running calendar. EMF has been given Bronze label status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) – the world governing body for running – in recognition of the high quality of the event.

IAAF Bronze Label is held by only two other races in the UK including the Bournemouth Marathon, also hosted by GSi Events. Races receive the status by fulfilling criteria that includes a quality international field, closed roads, equal prize money for male and female competitors, electronic timing, international anti-doping procedures and environmentally-friendly organisation.